We have let the nation down: Gambhir

[Karan114]

We have let the nation down: Gambhir Press Trust Of India Perth, January 17, 2012 Struggling Indian opener Gautam Gambhir today conceded that his team has let the entire nation down in the ongoing Test series against Australia and has failed to live up to the expectations. India trail the four-match series 0-3 and are in danger of a second successive Test whitewash abroad after the England debacle last year. "We have let the entire nation down and I will be the first one to accept it. There is a backlash which is happening back home and we are ready to accept it. We have given the opportunity to people (to criticise us). We haven't played good cricket and not lived up to the expectations, given the batting we have," said Gambhir after nets here today. "We have let the common man down who expects us to perform and I accept it. We need to turn it around as quickly as possible," he added. The left-handed opener has scored only 144 runs from six innings at an average of 24.00 and is only one of the batsmen of the Indian batting unit, which has collectively failed on the present tour. "I am not someone who would be hesitant to take the responsibility. I will be the first one to accept it. If you want to be number one, you have to perform well and start winning overseas, whether England, South Africa or Australia," said Gambhir. The left-hander's problem is symptomatic of a larger malaise as he hasn't hit a hundred for over two years now. "If hundred is everything and I score one followed by four or five low scores, I don't think I would be satisfied. You want consistency. If a hundred is followed by innings when I don't reach double figures, I wouldn't be happy. "You want to be consistent. If a 100 comes your way, well and good. It's a long journey from zero to hundred and as we all know, it's a one ball game for a batsman. But I am not thinking of putting together a hundred, rather consistent 50s will make me happy," he insisted. Gambhir also urged to consider collective failure as an issue rather than singling out individuals. "What make us happy is winning the series not Sachin's 100th hundred. We would be far more happy if we win the series compared to if Sachin has got his 100. Conversely, if Sachin gets his hundred and we don't win, it isn't satisfying. It's all about winning the series rather than any individual performance." Questions flew thick and fast if the change of captaincy, now that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to miss the Adelaide Test for slow over-rate, could bring a new spark from Virender Sehwag, and Gambhir said, "He will be aggressive. But I have always believed a captain is as good as the team. "There has been no great captain, it's not the captain who makes the difference. It's the eleven in the field who make difference. It's not MS (Dhoni), an individual who takes the blame if the entire team hasn't performed. Same would be with Sehwag. It's the eleven who have to perform, it's not just him. We need to play well as a unit." It's been an accepted norm that openers need to fire, especially abroad, if the rest of the batting is to fall in place but Gambhir refused to agree with the notion entirely. "Openers do help if they negotiate the new ball. It helps the rest of the batting. But they can't be blamed alone. I've already said I accept to have failed. But it's the entire batting unit, which has to take the responsibility. It can't only be openers or middle orders. Gambhir, meanwhile, gave full credit to the Australians for their excellent performance as a unit. "It's been challenging. Australia is a tough place to tour. But a lot of credit goes to them. I will not be hesitant to accept it. They have played some very good cricket as a unit overall. They have always kept the pressure and not let us off the hook." "But one good day and one good session could change it all. There's a lot of cricket left in this series. We are not even midway through. If we do well in Adelaide and take the momentum forward, we could make the difference (in the T20 and One-day Internationals)," Gambhir said. "There's a lot of cricket yet to be played. In Adelaide, hopefully we could bring the smiles back on the faces of the people," he stressed. Gambhir said the individual batters haven't been able to convert good starts but claimed the mood in the camp was still upbeat. "We've been working hard, as you could see at the net session. But it's not going our way. Our top seven have had fifties but none of them have been able to convert it. But the mood is completely fine. If you are playing for your country and the next Test is only six days away, we need to be up for it," explained the opener. "Things haven't gone our way but we still need to be positive and do well in Adelaide and subsequently in the one-day series. If you are playing for your country, you need to be positive and look at next Test and try to win it." Gambhir was dismissive of Glenn McGrath's reported suggestion that India would be easy to beat in the one-day series as well. "In a series, a lot of chit-chat happens. If he thinks so, good luck to him. If we play well and good cricket, we have the calibre and talent to turn things around," said Gambhir. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Specials/Cricket/India-vs-Australia-2011/Chunk-HT-UI-IndiaVSAustralia2011-TopStories/We-let-the-entire-nation-down-says-Gautam-Gambhir/SP-Article10-798302.aspx

[zep1706]

You sure have.

[Needforspeed]

So..WTF are u guys doing about it?

[Needforspeed]

"We've been working hard, as you could see at the net session. But it's not going our way. Our top seven have had fifties but none of them have been able to convert it. But the mood is completely fine. If you are playing for your country and the next Test is only six days away, we need to be up for it," explained the opener.

Yeah Working hard...Shopping and Go-carting.

[Sachinism]

People need to get over the fact they do activities not related to cricket.

[Moncy]

Bet they are having fun in Australia. They don't care that they lost as long as they get paid :) As long as they get paid, they don't care if they keep losing. Dhoni's probably one of the top 5 richest cricketers right now.

[NeutralCat]

Yeah right the care about us the fans or the nation, they don't give a crap, enjoying the beaches of Australia. The millions they make, why should they care about the nation? They never did and never will. But if the money stops we will see what happens to them.

[rkt.india]

People need to get over the fact they do activities not related to cricket.

This team lacked discipline as was said by Aajtak correspondent. They cannot come to the practice on time any given day. See, if practice time is 10, they come by 11, and then they drool, sit in the shades and take their own time to start practice. They are a lazy bunch of cricketers, most of them. They sleep late and then wake up late in the morning, how will their body be ready to play on a match day if they are not used to waking up early w hen the match is starting at 10. They wake up late and by the time their bodies are completely awake and warmed, we see 4 wickets down in one session. They are a lazy bunch of cricketers. These things matter a lot. Even today, juniors came early today with Dravid, and seniors had to come by 11, but no they were late today too.

[Sundar88]

As frustrated as I am with their performance over the last 6 months or so, I can't help but feel sorry for these guys. Barely 8 months ago they were no.1 in tests and world champs, an all-time high for Indian cricket. It's amazing how quickly things can change from one extreme to another, feels sad to watch their embarrassed faces in press conferences.

[bulbul]

As frustrated as I am with their performance over the last 6 months or so' date=' I can't help but feel sorry for these guys. Barely 8 months ago they were no.1 in tests and world champs, an all-time high for Indian cricket. It's amazing how quickly things can change from one extreme to another, feels sad to watch their embarrassed faces in press conferences.[/quote'] why? you are just laughing at England for thier One day Bad performance :giggle: i dont feel bad for these players...They are nothing to lose...only fans who watch matches will get depressed...also who know whether they really meant what they are talking..may just PR stunt

[Crookbond]

Team deserves the criticism - Gambhir http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/549799.html

Gautam Gambhir has said that the Indian team has earned the criticism they are receiving back home through their performance, and that to be the No. 1 Test side in the world again they will have to find ways to win away from home. "I am not someone who will hesitate to take responsibility," Gambhir said. "I think we have not played well. I will be the first one to accept it. If we want to be the No. 1 Test-playing nation in the world, we have to do well overseas. That has been always my stand. You have to do well in England, South Africa and Australia. "Whatever backlash is happening in India, we are ready to accept it. We have given the opportunity to people back home to give whatever they are giving [us]. There is a lot of expectation from us, that we should have done well. And with the kind of batting line-up we have, we should have done well." Gambhir said that the side was looking forward to the Adelaide Test, and the triangular ODI series that follows. "It is disappointing but the mood is absolutely fine," Gambhir said. "When you are playing for your country and there is another Test match coming around in six days, you need to be up for it. I know things haven't gone our way, but still we need to be positive. There is a one-day series coming up. Hopefully we can play well in Adelaide, and take the momentum into the one-day series. When you are playing for your country you still have to turn out and be positive, and try and look at it as a new Test and try to win." Gambhir had a terrible start to the series with his first three innings, brief ones, ending in pokes outside off. He began to leave the ball better from the second innings in Sydney onwards. His 83 is the highest score for an Indian batsman in the series, but he knows it is not enough to compete in Test matches. "We have got starts but we have not been able to convert them into big hundreds," Gambhir said. "Everyone in the top seven have got half-centuries, but they are not able to convert it into big hundreds. That is where we have been lacking. These things happen, and we are working hard and hopefully things turn around. We have seen things turn around very soon in international cricket, and hopefully Adelaide is the place where it turns around." Gambhir, though, said the whole batting unit takes the responsibility for the failure, and that the openers or VVS Laxman should not be criticised in isolation. "It's not just the openers or the middle order," he said. "We need to combine as a unit. All batsmen need to play well, and all have to take responsibility. When you fail, you fail as a unit. "Opening [the innings] is very important, and when you can give a good start obviously it helps the entire batting unit, but there will be times when you will not be doing well. I will always be the first one to take responsibility that I could not live up to the expectations of people back home, and that's something I need to answer [for]. The kind of expectations the common man has from me, that is where I need to be answerable. I need to accept that responsibility. Things can really turn around quickly." One of the seven batsmen who have scored fifties is Virender Sehwag, and he will be captaining the side in Adelaide in MS Dhoni's absence. However, Gambhir said the magic turnaround doesn't have to come from the captain, but from the whole side. "The captain is only as good as his team," he said. "There have been no great captains, and captains don't make a difference, it's the XI that makes the difference. MS has done a great job, it's just that the entire team has not performed. It's not just MS, it's the entire team that has to take blame. With Viru coming in as the skipper, it's still the 11 people who have to perform."

[EnterTheVoid]

Some simple maths to show who you should really be feeling sorry for: Flight ticket to Australia from India per person = $1000 Match ticket = $100 per seat per day; Ticket for entire test = $500 Hotel cost for the duration of the test = $150 per night x 5 nights = $750 Spending money for snacks/souvenirs/transport to and from the ground = $300 Flight cost for inter city travel within Australia per person = $300 ..... This much money to watch such a gutless performance? **** you BCCI. **** you Team India. Go **** yourselves.

[bulbul]

Some simple maths to show who you should really be feeling sorry for: Flight ticket to Australia from India per person = $1000 Match ticket = $100 per seat per day; Ticket for entire test = $500 Hotel cost for the duration of the test = $150 per night x 5 nights = $750 Spending money for snacks/souvenirs/transport to and from the ground = $300 Flight cost for inter city travel within Australia per person = $300 ..... This much money to watch such a gutless performance? **** you BCCI. **** you Team India. Go **** yourselves.

+1 this is not the time for apolagies....some actions need to taken rather than just apologies

[saneindian]

This team lacked discipline as was said by Aajtak correspondent. They cannot come to the practice on time any given day. See, if practice time is 10, they come by 11, and then they drool, sit in the shades and take their own time to start practice. They are a lazy bunch of cricketers, most of them. They sleep late and then wake up late in the morning, how will their body be ready to play on a match day if they are not used to waking up early w hen the match is starting at 10. They wake up late and by the time their bodies are completely awake and warmed, we see 4 wickets down in one session. They are a lazy bunch of cricketers. These things matter a lot. Even today, juniors came early today with Dravid, and seniors had to come by 11, but no they were late today too.

All such reports are always motivated. They are trying to create some sensation to increase their TRP and nothing else. In the past, many of these news channels have run false stories of similar type when the team has been struggling.

[saneindian]

Some simple maths to show who you should really be feeling sorry for: Flight ticket to Australia from India per person = $1000 Match ticket = $100 per seat per day; Ticket for entire test = $500 Hotel cost for the duration of the test = $150 per night x 5 nights = $750 Spending money for snacks/souvenirs/transport to and from the ground = $300 Flight cost for inter city travel within Australia per person = $300 ..... This much money to watch such a gutless performance? **** you BCCI. **** you Team India. Go **** yourselves.

Cut down the abuse. STop being a fair weather fan. Criticise them as much as you want to but why abuse? The same players when they start doing well will become heroes and you will regret your words.

[bulbul]

All such reports are always motivated. They are trying to create some sensation to increase their TRP and nothing else. In the past' date=' many of these news channels have run false stories of similar type when the team has been struggling.[/quote'] why you have to give all the benefits to Players...do you really think they are serious about this tour

[EnterTheVoid]

Try saving for 6 months and than be presented with this. You probably watched the match on TV. Big deal, no financial loss for you. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who spent close to three thousand dollars (or more) to watch the match LIVE and than be presented with this performance. Go through that first and than preach. I will listen to what you will have to say than.

[saneindian]

why you have to give all the benefits to Players...do you really think they are serious about this tour

Are you questioning the commitment of guys like Sachin, Dravid, VVS, Gauti, Sehwag? Sorry I will not stoop to that level just because they have failed. Yes they deserve to be criticised but to say they are lazy, do not care about practice sessions etc is just not correct.

[Needforspeed]

Someone ask Gambhir to browse this forum..send him the link :winky:

[bulbul]

Are you questioning the commitment of guys like Sachin' date=' Dravid, VVS, Gauti, Sehwag? Sorry I will not stoop to that level just because they have failed. Yes they deserve to be criticised but to say they are lazy, do not care about practice sessions etc is just not correct.[/quote'] i dont question the commitment of first 3...i dont see why cant we question the next 2 or any other players.... let us not make any one holy cows...if you want its fine but i will have my opinions